We may be n00bs to the West End scene but it doesn’t take long for The Craptacular to identify hotties wherever we go. Below, a cursory list of handsome, talented, wildly attractive men who work the West End for theatre (theater) lovers on both sides of the pond.
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David Thaxton Angel-faced, Welsh-born David Thaxton spent a bunch of time fake-marching in the chorus of Les Miserables and eventually was promoted to the role of Enjolras, but it was his role as Giorgio in the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Passion in 2010 that won him accolades, and an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He spent much of 2011 playing Mean Old Raoul in Love Never Dies, and is the single cutest person you’ve ever seen. He is also, naturally, in a band. |
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Ramin Karimloo The only non-British entry on our list, Ramin Karimloo is actually from Toronto, but he could be from the moon for all we care, because his nearly indescribable hotness transcends all boundaries of nationality, and we think that most of the UK and Cameron Mackintosh agree. Sir Cameron agrees so heartily that he’s looking for reasons to cast Ramin in every role ever imagined, including the Phantom (twice), Chris in the Miss Saigon movie that may never happen, and Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. We expect an announcement that he’ll be playing Eponine in 2013. In the meantime, we’ll just endlessly re-watch the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert, where he plays a very forceful Enjolras, and wait for him to tweet new photos of his mesmerizing tattoos. |
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Tom Riley Oh, Tom Riley. All it takes is one performance in one movie that appeals to to a certain type of besotted young woman, and voila, a fandom is born. For Tom, that movie is Lost in Austen. Throw in a role as Septimus Hodge in Arcadia – the sexiest stage character who does nothing sexy, except talk – et voila, a heartthrob is born. He also stars on Monroe, a British medical drama that may or may not be awesome, but we’ve never seen it. But now that we’ve just mentioned it, we’re guessing that those aforementioned fans will all tell us how we do so by defying several international broadcasting rules. Bring it, girls. For Tom, we’re willing to become outlaws. |
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Hadley Fraser Hadley Fraser is about to become a huge star for several reasons, but here’s the most pressing one: He plays Raoul in the 25th anniversary concert of The Phantom of the Opera, a concert that is sure to be broadcast around the world and used as bait to get your grandmother to donate some bank to her local public broadcasting station. Once she catches a glimpse of Hadley and his pretty blue eyes, we’re guessing that she’ll give generously. |
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Simon Shorten He’s barely 27, which qualifies him more as the Phetus of the Opera than any kind of Phantom. Except, you know, his Phantom is so sexy that we were squirming in our seats up in the Royal Circle at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Which is ten kinds of fucked up, we know. But screw it. If you can make a girl want to push Christine off the stage and bang the Phantom in front of an audience, you’ve really got it. And we really, really want it. |
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Jonathan Williams Usually its bad news when a man makes a girl cry. Not so when that man is playing Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. And damn did Williams make The Mick cry with that angel voice of his. Williams is also strapping, with a beautiful mane of curls that you could really grab hold of in the throes of… uhm… ANYWAY. Making a big stir as a Valjean understudy (today, he’s the alternate) is some pretty serious business so we assume this Welsh hottie will be a big star in 5, 4, 3… |
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Tom Mison Never in the history of beards has a beard been as sexy as it was on the face of Tom Mison when he played Prince Hal in Henry IV at the Theatre Royal Bath. And if a face full of that scruffy stuff—seriously, I’m getting stubble burn around my mouth just looking at it—can’t make Mison unsexy, then there’s pretty much nothing on this earth that can. It’s probably those big blue eyes. Or maybe it was his sweet, bumbling, occasionally intoxicated Bingley in Lost in Austen. Whatever the case, Mison makes the hot list for eternity, obvs. |
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Killian Donnelly I don’t even think we need to tell you how we feel about Irish accents. Put one on a boy with floppy blonde hair, a great sense of humor and a big ass voice and you have tailor made the sexiest person The Mick can even dream up. Okay, so his Raoul in Phantom proved he can’t really dance. We’ll forgive him that foible and make sure we take plenty of lessons before the wedding because if we ever get our hands on this man, you better believe he’s never getting away. |
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Eddie Redmayne With those piercing eyes and beautiful cheekbones, Redmayne didn’t even need to win a Tony (for his role in Red) to win our hearts. Smart and talented enough to command the stage–he’s set to play Richard II in… Richard II at the Donmar–but beautiful enough to model for Burberry, Redmayne was an obvious choice for this list. Sure, he’s so thin one good thrust of the hips could break him, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to take that risk. |
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Oliver Thornton Okay, so we know very little about Oliver Thornton, but we’ve seen the photos, and… we may never need to know more. |
Photos: Riley – Ian Phillips-McLaren, Fraser www.hadleyfraser.com, Shorten – www.simon-shorten.com, Mison – Nobby Clark, Redmayne – www.venicemag.com, Thornton – Lee Jenkins for Out Magazine
{ 6 comments… add one }
the fact that jonathan williams is on this list cements your blog as my favourite forever.
DAVID THAXTON. I approve so damn hard. I’ve seen him in Les Mis and Passion. Perfect man being perfect etc. and then met him afterwards and he is too adorable for words.
Hadley Fraser – Yum!! He is also the most awesome Roy Javert in Les Miserables at Queen’s Theatre-so convincing that he gets booed at curtain-call by enthusiastic fans.He’s a true gentleman,too!
I really like Ramin Karimloo. I watched him singing “That Guy” and loved his voice, so came on the net to search about him and here I see he has other abilities too, hotness
I wish I was Sierra Boggess sometimes. Phantom 25th Anniversary – she gets to kiss Ramin AND Hadley in one night!! Not fair.
When I saw these names: David Thaxton, Ramin Karimloo, Hadley Fraser, Simon Shorten, Jonathan Williams, Killian Donnelly, and Eddie Redmayne, I wanted to faint in Valjean’s (either Ramin, Simon, Jonathan, Killian) arms!!!!!!!